I've always been a fan of smaller, cigarette-like PVs. I'm always on the hunt for something inconspicuous that I can bring to events, parties and whatnot, that won't attract too much attention. That search led me to the E8 super mini from E-Cig.
HARDWARE
The E8 is the 8mm diameter little brother to the E9, which is (all together now) 9mm. The E9 is also better known as the GreenSmoke. This name probably conjures images of over-priced, re-branding demon hatredness...and that would be fair, but back to the review.
The E8 is exactly the same overall size as a regular cigarette. It is an automatic battery cartomizer unit that is almost preposterously customizable as far as battery color, length, LED color, LED lens color and cart color. I gave mine a little Nat Sherman color scheme.
The cartomizer fill is wrapped around the inside of the casing with a clear channel down the middle and an atomizer wire wrapped long-ways around that. It uses a soft cap which is easily removable for refilling. They hold a surprising 20+ drops of liquid. Like the E9, the manufacturing process is not entirely consistent. A few of the cartomizers I got didn't seat quite right on the battery, which resulted in a slight tilt between the two. I haven't had any problems since those few, but it's something to be aware of.
PERFORMANCE
For such a small unit the vapor production is excellent. Don't get me wrong, it can't compete with a 510, but it's no slouch. The vapor is quite warm, but throat hit is only average. Speaking of warm, the E8 is not something I would consider chain vapable. The cartomizer gets quite hot after 3-4 successive drags. Generally speaking, given a 15 second cool-down between sets of 3-4 draws, it does fine. Flavor is a little muted, but that's to be expected from the tininess.
The draw (again like the E9) is quite stiff. There are no vent holes on the bottom of the battery, or on the cartomizer. Instead, there are 4 very tiny ones at the top of the battery on the LED lens. After a little getting used to, this wasn't too bothersome. This also probably accounts for the heat of the vapor. The advantage of this setup is that the unit is almost silent.
For its size the battery life is good. Again, it's tiny, so don't expect it to last as long as an 808, or a 510, etc. E-cig sells a PCC, but it's modeled after a pack of Marlboros and looks stupid. There are slimmer PCCs available if you hunt around that aren't quite so tacky.
Conclusions
If you're looking for a heavy duty performance driven e-cig, look somewhere else. If you're looking for something that mimics the look and feel of a real cigarette and still has respectable vapor production, the E8 might be worth looking into. All of the components are cheap if you order directly from E-cig (about a dollar per blank carto and ten for batteries), but shipping is high since it's coming direct from China. It's still worthwhile if you order everything you need for several months. I generally get about 3 fills out of a carto before it's shot.
Long story short, slight inconsistencies in the hardware, but definitely workable for those looking for a cig sized supermini.
HARDWARE
The E8 is the 8mm diameter little brother to the E9, which is (all together now) 9mm. The E9 is also better known as the GreenSmoke. This name probably conjures images of over-priced, re-branding demon hatredness...and that would be fair, but back to the review.
The E8 is exactly the same overall size as a regular cigarette. It is an automatic battery cartomizer unit that is almost preposterously customizable as far as battery color, length, LED color, LED lens color and cart color. I gave mine a little Nat Sherman color scheme.
The cartomizer fill is wrapped around the inside of the casing with a clear channel down the middle and an atomizer wire wrapped long-ways around that. It uses a soft cap which is easily removable for refilling. They hold a surprising 20+ drops of liquid. Like the E9, the manufacturing process is not entirely consistent. A few of the cartomizers I got didn't seat quite right on the battery, which resulted in a slight tilt between the two. I haven't had any problems since those few, but it's something to be aware of.
PERFORMANCE
For such a small unit the vapor production is excellent. Don't get me wrong, it can't compete with a 510, but it's no slouch. The vapor is quite warm, but throat hit is only average. Speaking of warm, the E8 is not something I would consider chain vapable. The cartomizer gets quite hot after 3-4 successive drags. Generally speaking, given a 15 second cool-down between sets of 3-4 draws, it does fine. Flavor is a little muted, but that's to be expected from the tininess.
The draw (again like the E9) is quite stiff. There are no vent holes on the bottom of the battery, or on the cartomizer. Instead, there are 4 very tiny ones at the top of the battery on the LED lens. After a little getting used to, this wasn't too bothersome. This also probably accounts for the heat of the vapor. The advantage of this setup is that the unit is almost silent.
For its size the battery life is good. Again, it's tiny, so don't expect it to last as long as an 808, or a 510, etc. E-cig sells a PCC, but it's modeled after a pack of Marlboros and looks stupid. There are slimmer PCCs available if you hunt around that aren't quite so tacky.
Conclusions
If you're looking for a heavy duty performance driven e-cig, look somewhere else. If you're looking for something that mimics the look and feel of a real cigarette and still has respectable vapor production, the E8 might be worth looking into. All of the components are cheap if you order directly from E-cig (about a dollar per blank carto and ten for batteries), but shipping is high since it's coming direct from China. It's still worthwhile if you order everything you need for several months. I generally get about 3 fills out of a carto before it's shot.
Long story short, slight inconsistencies in the hardware, but definitely workable for those looking for a cig sized supermini.
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